 |
|
 President's report 2010 |
|
|
|
President's report presented at 2010 AGM
AHSA President's report, presented by retiring President Brian Patton at AHSA's 6th Annual General Meeting, April 26, 2009
What I want to talk about today is the legacy that is AHSA, about the asset that is AHSA and about the prospects and challenges that lie ahead.
This organization was formed around the objective of providing a permanent concrete skate park for the skaters of Antigonish… yes that includes our BMXers and scooterers. Our tangible clear objective has proved to be so elusive. We were threatened by the financial challenges; we have dealt with the stigma of BAD BOY SKATEBOARDERS. The problem we have not been able to solve is the issue of a suitable location for a park. That work continues.
That’s all well and good and I believe that faith plus determination will eventually provide a solution to that as well.
That’s what brought us all together. What I want to talk about today are perhaps the more unexpected results, the achievements that like-minded individuals can and have achieved under the umbrella of the Antigonish Highland Skateboarding Association. This group was brought together by a passion for a sport high in creativity, self-expression and freedom of movement – or for their love of sons and daughters passionate for this sport. A loose affiliation to start with, skaters had a rebellious reputation. Practicing their sport was even against the law.
That’s what brought the association together. But what happened was not in the design, in the intentions and much less in the expected outcomes. That’s what I want to talk about.
The Association realized that we needed money to fulfill our dream of a concrete skatepark but that we also had to improve our public image. We started to raise our profile. We started taking an active role in our community. The rebellious youth took leadership roles in community action plans. The Skateboarding Association built a reputation quickly as an accessible community-minded group willing to help out in crises or in goodwill. The community started bringing us opportunities to participate in incredible and fascinating opportunities.
We joined the Highland Society and participated in the Highland Games Parade for the last four years. We partnered with The Coady International Institute with a program of Appreciative Inquiry, helping international mature students learn more about community development. We helped the Lions Club every year with their Adopt-a-Highway program and the Town's Beautification Committee with their Communities in Bloom beautification efforts. We helped with the Special Olympics. We assisted by coordinating a reception for a international unicycle race, Ride The Lobster. We have sent delegates to a youth leadership camp and to a daylong skateboarding instructor workshop. We worked with the local Anglican church with their Oxfam Hungry4 Change banquet. We have supported the Antigonish International Film Festival, and we are working with the Ecole Pomquet playground project. We have also supported aspiring young artists in written and performing arts. We have supported a Canada World Youth participant with his fundraising efforts. That's the list of the top of my head.
In addition to those volunteer roles we have organized our own fund raising activities, creative stuff such as selling specialty license plates, a labour auction and a few raffles… notably a Rolling Stones gift basket raffle, with tickets to see the Stones perform in Moncton. We've packed groceries, put on dances, done carwashes and bottle drives.
If you were afraid that it’s all work and no play, we were too. We've been busy for more than six years but still no closer to our goal of a permanent skatepark. But the momentum and the youth engagement and empowerment was staggering, so we added some activities to maintain skateboarding activities legally without a permanent park. We were involved in building a temporary skatepark in 2004. We took bus trips to other communities with parks. We’ve been to Sydney, Coxheath, Dominion, New Waterford, Halifax, Shearwater, Moncton, Riverview, New Brunswick. Twice we brought a portable skatepark to Antigonish. We needed to maintain and reward the troops. We had a lot of fun.
All the while we focused on achieving the political clout to land a location to build a permanent park. Remember that’s our objective.
This past year the frustration started to take its toll. The loved ones we started the process with have moved on with their lives and many to new geography. Many of us on the board felt that we should save strength and energy for the primary objective, the concrete park, since we were at the risk of exhausting the assets, our human resources and the ability to do good. We have slowed the machine down to gain some perspective. This year we worked with a committee with representation from both municipal councils to identify and pursue the best location for the skatepark. It just occurred to me that that line could have come out of a President's report any of the previous six years.
At this point we are engaged in a discussion around a much bigger development that includes both Town and County and would involve many more stakeholders and users than just skateboarders. In this project we are one among many stakeholders and not really leading the charge. This project has in some respects left AHSA sidelined and I can’t really disclose too much about the project. Let’s say that we are in a process focused on our primary objective of acquiring a Permanent Concrete Skatepark. But we can’t do it alone. We need our municipalities and we need the will of the community to achieve the big goal.
The point of my comments today is to emphasize that if we focus only on the challenges, often we don’t see the benefits that we achieve every day.
This association has a legacy: AHSA has brought wonderful value to our community and particularly to our youth. It is worth preserving. Last year we had a few new board members and this evening more new members are joining us. They have been asking for more of what we do right. They like the community involvement and they love the opportunities we can provide through bus trips and portable and temporary parks. They have a desire to see the association grow and persevere. And they will not give up on the ultimate goal but they see the benefits along the way and that’s what they're working for.
So as I prepare to pass the reins to the next president, I offer this:
Don’t forget where we came from.
Never lose sight of the big picture but take time to enjoy the ride.
Don’t take the volunteers or the community support for granted.
The organization has built a place and a reputation in the community, use it wisely.
Now I must say above all else thank you to all our volunteers, the community and the members of the Association and especially this board of directors. You have all enriched my life and the lives of our family.
Thank you all.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Sep 1, 2010
Upcoming events
Sept. board mtg TBA
Photos-New/Old/Older
Year in Review 07-08
Newsletter--Apr2007(pdf)
Clippings Jun03-Apr08
AHSA on facebook
Shopping
Nova Scotia sk8parks
AntigonishEventsCalendar
Halifax movie Roller Town looking for roller skaters / Roller Town facebook page
2010 Skate & Create / 2009 winner, etnies The Legend Of Boxton Square
HOLY ROLLER (2nd vid has music)
Where we are, July 2010
Rolling with the punches, The Casket, Jul 26, 2010
Town trying to find site?, Jul 21, 2010
Request for space for halfpipe turned down, June 21
A safe, fun summer, Chronicle Herald, July 19
A new skate park for sick old tricks -Globe and Mail
The Chronicles of Zander, June 12; Trailer & poster
Northside Youth Centre & Indoor Sk8park Grand Opening, Fredericton, NB; sponsor: East Side Board Supply
Playgound installation May 15, photos
Spryfield park open; vid
Everyone wins, vid about youth engagement produced by NS Dept of Community Services
Local: Big Air in Bedford
To Fix Bridge, Skateboard Mecca May Be Lost for Years, Brooklyn Bridge, NY
2010 AGM / President's report / new board
Pics, Jeff at Moncton sk8park
BMX enthusiasts out of winter hibernation
Dedication unrewarded, Letter to the editor of The Casket, Apr 14, 2010
Local talent - sk8 vids featuring Brennen Breen: couldn't breen / brennen breen this is antigonish / Halifax commons skateboardin / scooter vid featuring Ryan Rossong: Beaver Gone Wild
Danny Way Stepping Aside as His Creation Soars
Connecting to a Culture Using 4 Wheels / Related: 4Wheelwarpony
Bob Biniak of Z-Boys, Dies at 51
Skatepark planned for Amherst, NS / Many benefits to be had in skate park
Snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White on the value of skateboarding
For Tony Hawk, the Skateboard Is a Canvas
A stunt cyclist's Tour de Fence / Danny MacAskill on Youtube
Bridgewater sets aside land for skateboard park, Bridgewater Bulletin, Oct 20,09
AHSA volunteers at HUNGRY4CHANGE banquet, Aug 11 photos
2009 HG parade photos
1st Annual Arichat Skateboarding Competition - photos
New sk8parks 2008/10
Spryfield
Bridgewater (planned)
Chester
Saint John
Truro
Glace Bay
Fall River / slide show
Amherst (planned)
AnnapolisRoyal (planned)
Why a skatepark?
Site selection criteria
Sk8parks & playgrounds
Wear your support, buy a tee
Counter stats
To view past news items, click "Next" button, below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
